Tasting - Dog Point Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

1/25/2015 - Week 1

Name:  Dog Point Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Marlborough
Country: New Zealand
Year: 2014
Price: $19.95

Winery review: "This vintage of Dog Point is unabashedly green without being overwhelming so. There’s plenty of fig and melon fruit to provide support for the garlands of cut grass, tomato leaf and fresh herbs. The texture, as usual from this venture, is silky, while the finish is long and vibrant. " - 90  Wine Enthusiast 




My Review: I really enjoyed this white wine! The wine provided a earthy, grassy smooth smell, while the crisp taste showed tones of sweet fruits, slight vegetable, earthy taste and spices/herbs. I could not determine the exact spices, but they gave the wine a clean, but bold and flavorful taste. This was one the of the first white wines I really enjoyed, but I feel as though i don not know which food to pair it with. If i were to guess, I would guess some sort of fish to go with the spice flavors in the wine,

I did not taste this wine with any food.

Tasting - La Grand Ribe Centenaire

1/25/2015 - Week 1



Name:   La Grand Ribe Centenaire
Variety: Syrah,Grenache
Region: Cotes-du-Rhone Villages Southern Rone
Country: France
Year: 2009
Price: $19.95

Winery review:  "Theblockbuster 2009 Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages Centenaire tastes more like a Chateauneuf du Pape than a Côtes-du-Rhône. Dominated by Grenache with a small amount of Syrah included in the blend, the wine possesses great intensity, a terrific texture, full-bodied power, and wonderful purity and Provencal typicity. This sensational effort is filled with red and black fruit, roasted herb, barbecue smoke, meat juice and bouquet garni characteristics. Enjoy it over the next 7-8 years or longer (2010-2018). - Robert Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate

My Review: I did not enjoy this red wine, I felt it had a strong acidic, chemical taste. The strong tastes could have come from a floral origin, but I could not figure out the exact flavors. The overbearing flavor really turned me away from this wine, but did feel as though its sharp smell matched its sharp, intense and bold taste. Overall, I did not like this wine and had a hard time decifereing the different tastes, although I was able to identify a slightly fruity after taste

I did not taste this wine with any food.

Tasting - Masseria Surani Puglia Ares Red

1/25/2015 - Week 1




Name:  Masseria Surani Puglia Ares Red
Variety: 50% Primitivo, 30% Negroamaro, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Puglia
Country:Italy
Year: 2012
Price: $12.95

Winery review: "Intense ruby red color. Red fruits, black-cherry on the nose. Sapid, balanced acidity, soft tannins, medium-bodied. Rich first courses, red and roasted meats" - Missy M. Touton, Vintage Cellar wine tasting

My Review:  I did not feel as though this wine had a very bold taste, but contained a dry after taste. With a new like Ares, named for the Greek god of war, I expected rich bold flavors to hit me right away, but did not feel as though it did that. It had a very grape-like smell and I could taste cherries, but felt the alcohol after taste wasn't pleasant. I could see how this wine could be paired with a roasted meat, as mentioned in the review above, and feel as though the meet may mellow out some of that alcohol taste.

I did not taste this wine with any food.

Tasting - Chateau Malescasse, Haut-Medoc, France

1/25/2015 - Week 1

Name: Chateau Malescasse
Variety: Bordeaux Blend Red Wine
Region: Haut-Medoc
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $24

Winery review: This wine has wonderful aromatics that is enhanced by the 5% Petit Verdot which adds a delightful floral and violet expression. Blackberries, blueberries, cedar, plums. The fruit is vivacious but also has a richness in the mid palate. This wine is great value at only 10 Euros! Tasted in: Bordeaux, France. Maturity: Young. (01-Apr-2011) [Asian Palate Jeannie Cho Lee] - 86 Wine-Searcher




My Review:  Very tart and dry, I could tell there were hints of flowers from the smell, but the dryness of the wine, distracted meme and I couldn't taste specific flavors..  I was able to pick out a fruity taste, more specifically a berry taste, but I could not taste which type of berry. Although dry, I did enjoy this wine and liked the rich fruit flavors.  I did not eat food with this wine.

Tasting - Telmo Rodriguez Rueda Basa

1/25/2015 - Week 1

Name: Telmo Rodriguez Rueda Basa
Variety: 92% Verdejo, 8% Viura
Region: Rueda
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $12.95

Winery review: "The 2013 Basa is a white blend of Verdejo with 8% Viura fermented in inox and bottled unoaked. The nose is clean with notes of green apple and hints of fennel, balanced and subtle. The palate is medium-bodied with good freshness, refreshing easy to drink. Very good value and great quality considering the volume. Drink now." - 90 Points Wine Advocate


My Review:  Really enjoyed it! First wine I have tasted at an official wine tasting and felt it was smooth with a subtle grassy, earth taste.  Smelled slightly fruity, but had an underlying smell I couldn't quite make out. Although I could taste hints of some kind of fruit, i did not taste the green apple taste they refereed to above. Very refreshing and with a very reasonable price, I have added this wine to my list of wines to purchase.

I did not taste this wine with any food.

First Blog Assignment!

1/25/2015


       My current experience with wine is far from sophisticated. Besides that occasionally bag-slap of Franzia or flavor intensive slug of Carlo Rossi, I have yet to dive into the world of Vino.  Being half Italian, I grew up around friends and family making and drinking wine. My Italian grandpa made his own brew in his garage and would drink a glass of home brewed red with every meal.  I  never really saw his process, but I do know he would get grapes from a friend and start the whole process.  He only made red and rarely deviated from type of grapes he purchased, but what ever he did, everyone seemed to loved it and he didn't travel any where unless he had a few bottles to give to his friends and family. One particular memory I can recall is that he would always slice peaches and put them in his wine glass when he had a glass with dinner, I'm going to have to try that.

     From my minimal experience with wine, I feel as though I have taken a liking to red wines, but only because I feel as though that is what I'm typically around. Just this Christmas eve tried a white, whose name I cannot recall, but found that it went very well with the fish my family and I were eating.  Throughout the semester I hope to expose my palate to various new white wines, while learning about the various types and how they were named.  As of now, I know very minimal about white wines, and just recently learned you have to chill them ones opened?! Although I see my self as a wine rookie, I am very excited to learn about it so maybe I can sound pretty sophisticated one day.

    While in this class, I hope to learn more about wine naming and why wines are named the way they are. I want to learn which wines come from which areas and why those grapes are grown there and not in other places.  Along with the naming, I hope to learn what wines go with different food.  I am sure between my own upcoming experiences and class lectures, I will begin to get an idea which wines compliment which foods. Overall I'm pumped to learn more about wine and the culture behind it and soon be able to use some of my wine smarts in the future as I begin to enter the work field.